


Scheme

by nojamguk



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, Drugs, F/M, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Magical Tattoos, Marks, References to Drugs, Sex, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Substance Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27482248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nojamguk/pseuds/nojamguk
Summary: " if you do this... you'll become like me.""what's wrong with that, kuroo?""I don't want that for you."-tetsuro kuroo (haikyuu) x yamamoto yuriko (oc)
Relationships: Tetsuro Kuroo/OC
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	1. one

There once was a time where you were completely naked.

Barren as you were exposed to the harsh hospital lighting of the dingy delivery room. Legs spread letting the air touch each and every part of your newborn body. Your mother's hands running down your torso as she pulls you in close to her with the small blanket wrapped around you, untouched still in your rarest purest form.

That moment will only last 4 years and 21 days after.

Yuriko remembers spending the week of her 5th birthday in a laboratory room, alongside four boys and three girls. A woman and a man were at the front of the room reading questions to the children, as they responded to them individually. Given the other doctors behind them the chance to jot down their responses. While there was one doctor who took blood samples and read their brain waves. She remembers them pulling on her teeth seeing if anything would fall from the crevices as well, she didn’t receive anything under her pillow after that.

It’s called the morality test, graded under the Morality Scale, whether you were on the good or bad end of the spectrum. They monitor your behaviour, your mannerisms, your reaction time. All of it being piled into a singular folder in a filing cabinet.

The day she hated the most was the year of her 6th birthday, the day of her Tattoo Ceremony. Herself and all the other newly turned or turning soon six year olds were lined on a stage and given an envelope with the stencil of the animal they shall receive, and the description of the council’s decision.

Yuriko remembers reading hers aloud: “ _Yamamoto Yuriko, we as the Council have bestowed upon you the trademark of a Rabbit. A well mannered, modest and shy girl who is tactful and prone to hypochondria.”_

Yuriko was the only Rabbit of her year.

-

Years after, in 7th grade in the downstairs library, Yuriko found herself cornered between the Science-Fiction and Fantasy section every Tuesday and Thursday as some boys liked to pick on her for the rodent on her cheek.

“A-And? S-So what! Y-You have a rat on y-your cheek, Takibi!” She never understood the difference. The boys liked to pick on her because she was the only one willing enough to keep coming back to read her books. And i guess you could say the boys were smart, consistency is key.

After they’d finished throwing her to the floor, she always remembered looking up and seeing the learning chart for the younger grades;

**PURE**   
_**Rat** \- it is meticulous, intelligent, clever, ambitious, and practical. Its vices are obstinacy and vindictiveness._   
_**Rabbit** \- it is sensitive, well-mannered, modest, and tactful but also shy and prone to hypochondria._   
_**Ox** \- responsible, thorough, generous, and caring but also jealous, stubborn, and petty._   
_**Horse** \- pleasant, intelligent, independent, and cheerful, tend to be restless, fickle, and selfish._   
_**Goat** \- the strengths of this sign are: creativity, generosity and empathy, and vices: irresponsibility and laziness._   
_**Rooster** \- brave, witty, loyal, and hardworking. Its greatest vices are pretentiousness, tendency not to honor its promises._

**DERANGED - DO NOT COME IN CONTACT**   
_**Tiger** \- its virtues are courage, confidence, honesty, and thoroughness. Unfortunately, it also tends to be reckless, selfish, and impulsive._   
_**Dragon** \- noble, ambitious and dignified, vigorous, and strong but also ruthless, lordly, and arrogant._   
_**Snake** \- characterized by wisdom and empathy, sharp and honorable. Its negative qualities are seriousness and indifference._   
_**Monkey** \- it is versatile, witty, intelligent, and full of life but also headstrong, conceited, and manipulative._   
_**Dog** \- honest, loyal, and devoted to their loved ones. Still, they can be mean and unpleasant._   
_**Pig** \- very social, honest, and funny. Its greatest vices are lack of self-discipline and hot-headedness._

-

Her least favourite time in history class was when they finally submerged into the ugly part of their country. Learning about the older years when the classes were first divided, was horrible. Yuriko remembers hearing stories from her mother, when she was a kid and even reciting those her own mother said to her. The two categories had to be separated at all times. Women were shamed if they were found in bed with those from the other side, whether pure or evil. Men were fined if they were found lurking in the streets where they weren't supposed to be.

However, in 1990 a law was passed after many years of protests from friends and loved ones who were forced to separate due to their markings; that it is not forbidden to intermingle with the “Others”, but it is frowned upon. Still, not illegal.

Her mother fought to be able to see her brother once again. They were separated after they’re Morality Test, living past the border with a distant relative who was also deranged. They only had each other in this world, after their parents died in ‘72 while they were on vacation, she was only two at the time. They were separated for 18 years before the Japanese people protested the government and brought the law down.

Yuriko was taught by her mother to stay away from the deranged, as she liked to call them. Even after fighting against having to stay separate from them, and being able to see her brother again, she still insisted. Especially now, since the majority of them are now part of the crime syndicate the Yakuza, or other illegal activities/crimes, they were just bad in general.

She never wanted to interact with them anyway, but her mother knows first hand how deadly some of these people are.

“Yuri? Are you listening to me?” Yuriko’s eyes snapped away from the rain falling into the street back to Niko, her best friend. Her rock through the storm, keeping her grounded as the world around her crumbled at her feet. Niko’s eyes smiled at her from behind her mask, she had the sniffles.

Niko was very beautiful, and Yuriko always found herself slightly jealous of her for how her proportions fanned out and her facial features. Her arms were small and skinny, along with her slim long legs. She was jealous. Yuriko was classified on the “heavier side”, however, she hated the modernized beauty standards. Her hips were slightly wider, with more meat on her thighs and hips, her breasts were a little bigger than normal but not overly large. Her waist was slim, just certain areas of her were bigger than she liked.

Yuriko had tried for many years to lose weight, but after many discussions with her mother and Niko; it’s just how her bodies shaped and there’s nothing she can do about it. Niko had expressed to her many times that: “Oh, Yuri! But your ass and thighs are to die for!” Some wouldn’t agree.

“I was talking about our final paper due at the end of the week,” Niko said, ripping a sugar packet and pouring it in her tea. “I’m having difficulty writing the conclusion on the Construction of Rome. I mean, I know i'm supposed to say “oh yeah and then it was built” ya di ya di yah, but I’m having trouble wording it.”

“O-Oh, right,” Yuriko said, they were finished with their college courses, both of them securing jobs in the libraries around their town. Even after the years of trauma from Takibi and his friends Yuriko adores literature, and found herself spending a lot of time in the quiet reading and writing, so why not? “Well, I think you should say something along the lines of… oh what's that saying.. Rome wasn’t built in a day? You could stem from that, give a brief overview of the legacy that was to come from the city?”

“Jesus christ this is why I never do anything without consulting you first.” She laughed, running her hands through her hair. “You’re so smart with this stuff Yuriko, I don’t understand any of it.” She tossed her notebook to the side, done with the stress spewing from it for the day.

“Have you spoken to Fujin, lately?” Yuriko looked up as Niko was scratching the horse mark under her eye. Fujin was a boy a few years her senior, with the tenacious attitude of a rooster. He was brave and hard working, however he seldom followed through on his promises.

Yuriko laughed but lowered her gaze once more. “No, not really. Not for a few days, he hasn’t messaged me either. So,” She shrugged, tapping the screen of her phone. It was getting late. “I think we should go.”

“Daichi’s only down the road with his friends, did you want a drive Yuri-chan?” Niko asked as she stood up with her jacket in her hands.

“No thank you, I’d rather walk back.” She replied, standing up and slinging her jacket over her shoulders. “The rain is softening, so I’ll be okay.” She gave her friend a soft smile who reached to give her a tight hug.

“I’ll see you in class tomorrow, okay Yuri-chan?” Niko loved calling her bunny, she had one under her right eye after all.

“Yes, Niko-san.” She giggled, watching a frown from between her eyebrows. “Tell Daichi-san i said hello,” she zipped up her jacket, pulling the hood up as well.

“I will, goodbye!” Niko gave her a wave before ducking out the side door and running to the right down the street.

Yuriko sighed, turning around and going out the front. Pulling her jacket in close around her as she stepped out into the wind. She only had to take a few steps before she was under the security of an awning hanging off the buildings. Yuriko lived in a very nice neighborhood only 15 minutes outside Nagoya . Her neighbourhood was made for the pure, you wouldn’t find a deranged soul walking the streets here. It just wasn’t common.

A loud splash was heard behind her, breaking her out of her thoughts. Her black wet hair got stuck in her eyelashes as she snapped her head around as she halted her pace. There was no one behind her, but the puddle's water was still moving from the contact. It was like someone had thrown a rock into it just to scare her.

_Yes, that's what it was. Just someone throwing a rock._

Yuriko turned her gaze off to the side where she saw the dark silhouettes of a few men standing at the back of an alley. She couldn't see their faces, but she did notice when one of them turned their heads to check behind them. Her feet began moving before she could even think, taking her eyes off them and darting down the street quickly to put some distance in between them, just in case.

Her apartment building wasn’t far from the cafe her and Niko met for tea at, but what made it longer was the fact that the rain resumed. The canopy above her was about to run out of length soon as well, meaning she had to untangle her hood from the strings. Reaching back, she expected to be able to just pull it out a bit and have it go over her head. However, when she tugged on it it barely moved.

“What the hell?” Yuriko mumbled, stopping her pace right at the end of the panelling both her hands behind her head fumbling with the cords and fabric of her hood blindly. It was cold, and windy so there was no point in taking her jacket off if she was going to get wet and cold. But, her arms were starting to hurt as she couldn’t untangle it from each other. “Ah, what to do?”

Suddenly there was a third hand colliding with her two and she immediately swatted at it and turned around hastily, causing her boot to slip on the slippery pavement and fall backwards out into the rain. She prepared to have to brace herself against the harsh pavement, however that same hand wrapped around her elbow and pulled her back under the awning. She lost her balance once more at the intensity of the pull, and smacked her face into the closet surface, which just so happened to be a stranger's chest.

She immediately pressed her hands against his chest and pushed off of him. Her apologies soon stuttered between her lips. “O-Oh my god I’m so sorry, please forgive me sir-” Her head was bowed as a sign of respect and for the fact that her cheeks were crimson red.

“What are you apologizing for?” His voice sounded different… not good, nor bad. It was deep, and sounded a bit gravelly when he spoke. It put a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had authority behind it, a certain roughness, commanding your attention.

“I-I ran into you, sir.” A timid bunny she was, so well mannered and shy at the time. Never thinking for a second that the other person was at fault.

“I was helping you untangle your hood, you fell and I pulled you back.” He responded, she still hadn’t met his gaze. Too intimidated by the sound of it, Yuriko was scared to put a face on it. “Tell me where you made a mistake and we can talk about it,” He laughed, he laughed? Why was he laughing at me? His laugh pushed that feeling right back down into her stomach, just as it was leaving.

“I didn’t mean to-” She tried again, this time gently brushing her hair away from her eyes and finally looking up at him.

His hair was the first thing that caught her attention, it looked like he had just rolled out of bed. It was spiky and all over the place with fringe falling over his right eye that she could still see. He almost looked like he could pass for a rooster, but she’d keep that thought to herself. His height was next, he looked to be about a foot taller than her but that was probably an exaggeration. Yuriko was only 164 cm (5ft 5in.), so standing next to anyone who was taller than her made her feel about 3ft tall.

What was next, was his mark under his eye.

“Y-You’re a…” Her breath got caught in her throat as she took a step back from him. He was a Dragon.

_Arrogant. Rude. Destructive. Vigilant. The absolute worse one out of all the deranged souls._

“What?” He grinned at her, but it oozed venom. “Cat got your tongue, bunny?” He laughed at her again, throwing his back as a boisterous chuckle ripped through him. “You seem surprised by me. Have you ever met one of the deranged before?” He brought his eyes back down to her, even lowering his face a bit to be more eye level with her. “Come on, bunny. I won't bite… unless you want me to.”

“W-Who are you?” Her eyes raked over him, taking in his appearance. He had on black jeans and a black hoodie, not much to brag about. He had something sticking out of his back pocket, but she couldn't angle her head far enough around without him noticing to see what it was.

“Does it really matter who I am?” he smiled at her again, but every look and smile that he gave felt as if there was a dark aura coming along with it. It put a rock at the pit of her stomach. “I mean come on, you’re just gonna hop on home and forget about me, huh bunny?”

He stunned her, Yuriko couldn’t look away from his dark eyes. She tried to, telling herself over and over again that all she had to do was move her eyes away and it would be over; but he had her locked in place. “Oh that's right, isn't it? You’re too shy, aren’t you bunny? Too polite to tell the big bad dragon to go away, huh?” His foot splashed in the puddle between them as he took a step towards her.

“How did you get here?” Yuriko finally found the courage to slip out a question, as his gaze continued to linger on her. His hands shoving into his jean pockets as he stood 2 steps away from her now, closing in on his prey. Closer and closer, making Yuriko feel smaller and smaller.

“I have friends around here,” He shrugged, looking out into the now barren streets filled with rain. Yuriko let out a deep breath as she was finally free was his alluring gaze. “Not the kind of friends you’d expect me to have, right?” A light chuckle leaving his lips as he looked back at her.

“I thought-” Yuriko began, fumbling with her hands as she looked down at the pavement. One of his heavy boots coming into view, he had taken another step towards her.

“That we weren’t allowed to interact, roam between the two city’s, co-exist?” He laughed, “Oh thats sweet, you’re just a clueless little bunny. Aren’t you?” One of his hands reached up to pat her on the head. “You better hop on home, little one. Wouldn’t want you getting a cold.” He reached his arms past her head and finally pulled the hood out from the mess.

“Who are you?” She asked again, before he pulled the hood up over her head. He smiled at her, as she took a step back from him the same time he moved forward. One more step and she’d be out in the rain.

“Persistent little thing, so concerned about the big bad beast.” He brushed a hand through his hair, and Yuriko could briefly see what he looked like with no hair covering his face. “You can call me Tetsuro for now… maybe some other time I’ll let you know my name.” He reached a hand out and she flinched away from him. He noticed her hesitancy, furrowed his eyebrows a little before bringing it back.

“I think I should go…” She looked out and hadn’t noticed how dark it had gotten, it was still raining pretty hard but she could survive that. It was walking alone in the dark.

“What’s your name, bunny?” Completely blowing past what she had said about leaving. But being the timid little thing she is, and needing male approval she complied with his wish. He had leant his shoulder against the side of the building, body leaning at an angle.

“Y-Yuriko…” She said softly, soft enough that she herself couldn’t even hear it.

“What was that?” He leaned an ear towards her, that same devilish grin on his dragon face.

“Y-Yamamoto Yuriko.” She said again, this time hopefully loud enough for the soulless to hear.

“Yuriko?” He sounded shocked for a second. “Haven’t heard that name in forever, how old school is your mom, bunny? How old are you?”

“I-I’ll be 19 in the spring…” _Why are you telling him all this? You barely know him, stop! You shouldn’t even be talking to him?_ She couldn’t stop herself.

“Oh look at you _chibi-chan_ ,” That name made her heart twist, but she couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. “I’ll be 25 next month, am i too old for you?” He smirked, _too old for me?_

“What does that mean, Tetsuro-san?” He closed his eyes as his name fell from Yuriko’s lips. She watched him shiver before opening his eyes again.

“I think you know, bunny.” Pushing himself up off the wall, he fished his cell phone out of his pocket. “You should hop on home, chibi-chan. Before the rain starts again,”

Yuriko hadn’t noticed that it had stopped. But the one thing she did notice was that it was pitch black out now, and she was still 10 minutes away from her home. She hated walking the streets at night, her vision wasn’t the best. _You can’t see what's making the noises in the alley, and there could be creeps lurking around every corner!_

“Are you okay, Yuriko? You’re shaking.” She looked back at him with unwanted panic in her eyes as she just kept glancing back out into the dark, afraid to step out on her own. She looked back into his eyes fumbling with her fingers as she hesitantly opened her mouth.

“C-Could you please walk me home, Tetsuro-san?” She couldn’t get her hands to stop shaking as she looked at him. He looked different now… almost as if her shift in comfort was important to him. He looked softer around the edges now, his posture more relaxed.

“Sure, bunny. Sure, I'll walk you home.” Giving her a soft smile, and motioning for her to lead the way. She gave him a small nod before turning around and cutting left up the street.

“I’m sorry Tetsu-” Yuriko began to say but was silenced as a heavy arm dropped down onto her shoulders. The weight of his limb caused her knees to buckle slightly, but with her reflexes she made a quick recovery.

“No you’re not, you got nothing to be sorry for.” He laughed, as he reached behind him to grab the object that Yuriko couldn’t quite get. Pulling it out to his side she flinched and shrunk back as the loud whoosh of the umbrella blew over her head. Tetsuro took notice of this as his arm sunk down quite quickly. “You okay, Yuriko?”

“Yes, Yes Tetsuro-san.” She was feeling really shaky being in such proximity with a deranged soul. Not knowing how to act, as they are known to have quite the temper and ever guessing reactions.

“Do I make you nervous?” he asked, as they rounded the corner. Her apartment complex was at the end of the street.

“N-No.” She wrapped her arms around her in front of her. She was cold, and scared only a little bit. It was her first time being this close with a male in a long time, Fujin barely touched her.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” He stopped and stared down at her, noticing how she hadn’t looked up at him once since they started walking. Slowly lowering his arm down off her shoulders, Yuriko felt a shiver run up her spine as she felt the warmth from him leave her.

She looked up at him hesitantly to see half of his face blacked out from the way the lighting angle was hitting him. “I-I’m just nervous.”

“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, but I did ask you if I made you nervous.” his lips picked up at the corner slightly. _What was that? Amusement?_ Is it amusing for him to watch Yuriko run her mind in circles? She blushed as he looked her in her eyes, barely being able to break the eye contact as it is, she found herself standing in front of the complex gate.

“T-This is my building,” She pointed to the one on the right with a cherry blossom tree in front of it, oh how she couldn’t wait for them to bloom once again. She looked back at Tetsuro who was still holding his gaze on her, he looked angry somewhat. “Did I do something wrong, Tetsuro-san?”

“No, not at all.” He smirked slightly, pulling his phone out from his back pocket and tapping his screen. “It's 10:17, I think it's past your bedtime, bunny. Wouldn’t want you to be late for class tomorrow.” _What? she’d never told him about he’d schooling, had she?_

She looked at him with her lips parted, _how did he know that?_ She’d never seen him before her life, not that she hadn’t seen the deranged before. He continued to give her that same alluring smile as he stood there with his hand shoved in his pockets, umbrella still clutched in his other. He was frightening her now, he hadn’t moved a single muscle and his stance and expression was becoming deadly horrifying. Yuriko felt her heart start beating rapidly in her ears as she turned and thumbed in the key to open the gate.

Pulling it back she paused and said, “T-Thank you for walking me home, Tetsuro-san.” Walking in and slamming the gate shut behind her ensuring it clicked into place. Her hands shakily touched the metal as she locked eyes with Tetsuro through the bars, as he gave her a soft smile. “Good night, Yuriko.”

Turning around, he stepped off the curb and walked down the opposite street. Disappearing into the dark, as a dragon slinks back into his cave.


	2. two

Yuriko woke the next morning with a heavy feeling in her stomach. Just moving her leg off the side of her mattress caused her to want to vomit. She’d never been one for drinking, but it felt like the morning after Niko dragged her out with Daichi and his volleyball club. She never drank again.

When she tried eating her usual rice and egg, she couldn’t bring herself to eat it. She sat at her table and only stared and watched as the steam rose above it. She had a class in an hour, still enough time to eat if she could, but it was unlikely. She’d been sipping on her honey tea all morning trying to shake the pounding in her skull, but all she could think about… was the darkness.

Her dreams the night before were different than they had ever been, and she’d had her fair share of nightmares. But these… these were haunting. They were dark, cold and unnatural with creatures screaming at her and with rain pouring down on her and her hair gushing in the wind as she ran through the maze of her subconscious just looking for a way out. She’d terrified herself by the capabilities of her mind. Feeling cold the whole night, unable to get warm with nearly every blanket in her apartment. A chill shaking up her spine every time a branch touched the window.

***DING***

The sound of an incoming text message shook her from her thoughts, looking down beside her right thigh lay her phone lit up with a message from an unknown number. She hadn’t moved from the table, her tea still in hand;

**+81 (xxx) xxx-xxxx**

_Good morning_

_Who was that?_

Had she given out her phone number unknowingly to someone? Her memory was so terrible that she might have, but she hadn’t met anyone new over the last few days. Did someone she already knew get a new phone number? What will they think if I don’t answer? I don’t want them to be angry with me…

**yuriko xo**

_sorry, who is this?_

Looking back up at her bowl of rice, oh how she wanted to eat it… but the pit in her stomach told her otherwise. It was odd, she’d never had a stomach ache last this long. She feared going to her classes and not being able to concentrate on her lesson due to the pain, and the chills wracking through her body. Exiting from the unknown messenger she ventures down to the chain with Niko. Letting her know shes come down with something and to send her any notes that she’ll miss.

Laying down on the couch with a sigh, she felt a little better knowing she didn’t have to go to school today, her phone vibrated in her hand.

**+81 (xxx) xxx-xxxx**

_Awe, forgot me already?_

_Who? Forgotten, who?_

Yuriko’s hand shot up to cover her mouth as she gasped loudly, that- that strange man from the night before! What was his name? He had the astonishingly wild hairstyle that shot- Tetsuro! How had he gotten her phone number? She doesn’t know a single Pure soul who would ever interact with a member of the Deranged society… so how had he gotten it? Her hands had begun shaking as she lowered her hand from her mouth. He had gotten her phone number not even 24 hours after meeting each other- No!

“You shouldn’t have even talked to him in the first place, Yuriko!” She yelled, throwing her phone down onto the cushion. She hated meeting new people, let alone one of the deranged. She hated talking about herself, letting people in was a hard wall for her to break. Niko was the only one strong enough to break through it. “You should have just kept your stupid head down and kept walking! Now, look at what has happened!” Pulling on her long locks out of frustration, she could hear her heartbeat in her ears beating out of control.“There’s an EVIL soul trying to come after you-”

***DING***

Snapping her head to the right, her phone face down vibrated. What did he want now?

**+81 (xxx) xxx-xxxx**

_Come on bunny, don’t be shy_

“Do not answer him, Yuriko.” She said to herself, locking her phone and walking over to her kitchen drawer. Staring at his words, before shaking her head“Do not give him your attention, he’ll leave on his own.” Opening the top drawer and tossing her phone in and slamming it back shut. She felt relieved, briefly. She’d have to get her phone back eventually but for now, she was at peace. Now would be the perfect time to catch up on her sleep if she really wanted to but… she had a stack of books calling her name with a nice cup of tea.

“That’ll show you, dragon.” She seethed and walked out of the room.

-

It was nice not having to worry about her phone all day.

Yuriko was able to spend her day buried in her books that she’d been longing to read, sipping at her tea as she flipped the pages. Immersed in the story so much that she’d completely forgotten about what had happened hours earlier. Her stomach ache had lessened a few hours prior but she hadn’t brought herself to eat yet, her headache was nearly gone as she tossed her head back onto her couch cushion.

8:53 pm

It was getting late, now would be around the time she’d start getting ready for bed with her skincare routine. But, It was Saturday tomorrow, no rush to get ready for bed. She didn’t feel particularly tired yet, she’d spent the whole day lounging and relaxing. However, it would be nice to scroll through social media and maybe play a few games. That will surely pass the time until she had to go to sleep, maybe even continue on into the early hours of the morning. Throwing her fleece blanket off her legs, she pondered into the kitchen setting her eyes on the drawer.

It’d been nearly 10 hours since she’d last used it. What was there to be afraid of, its not like he could get her through the phone. His words didn’t really mean that much, did they? Yuriko was always taught not to read into things but maybe now would be a good time to start. This time, was different.

Sighing as she picked up her device, she tapped the screen immediately being able to read the abundance of messages from our cursed Dragon;

_Come on now_

_How are you this morning?_

_Sleep well?_

_It was quite chilly last night, were you warm?_

_Why didn’t you go to your classes today?_

_It’s not good if you skip out on your education, bunny_

_Were you sick at all?_

_You’ll be fine in the morning, bunny_

_Any fun Saturday plans?_

Who was this guy?

He was asking Yuriko questions and after he caught on that she wasn’t answering he would just answer them himself? But how did he know she’d been sick? How did he know she hadn’t gone to her classes? Her head started spinning once again as she reached her hand out to balance on the counter, the heavy feeling returning to her stomach.

What had she gotten into?

-

A few sleepless, cold nights later, Yuriko found herself walking home after a shift at the corner store. Being a student she got nice shifts usually, she’d finish around 10 pm and be home by 10:15. It was getting colder at night now, but Yuriko still hadn’t shaken the chill from a few days ago. She was wearing a crew neck, a sweater, and her winter jacket but she was still freezing. Her hands were wrapped in her Olympic mittens, nice and warm on her fingers as she shoved them into her pockets.

She hadn’t been sleeping well. She hated the thought of going to sleep, in fear of what dark soul was going to infiltrate her mind tonight. She’d been on edge, very jittery at the slightest of sounds. Yuriko was scared. Just, scared. Never in her life had she been so tired, and cold that she couldn’t focus on taking care of herself. Her appetite hadn’t come back.

_“Chibi-chan.”_ A voice called out, Yuriko skidding in her step as stopped under a street light. There was no one on the street with her, no off to the side conversations happening. She was completely alone, had she made it up in her head? It was too dark to see if anyone was hiding, a fear of someone just being there without her knowing.

Shaking off her shoulders she began walking again. Holding her arms closer into her body, her eyes darting around through her bangs as she briskly cut up the street. She was walking quickly enough that you could hear her feet on the pavement and her sharp breathing. Just a few more blocks, she was nearly there. Just a few more blocks. Picking up her pace as she came to the small incline at the base of her street, she pulled herself in harder

_“Yuriko-chan.”_ The voice said again, stopping Yuriko dead in her tracks as she saw a figure standing just out of the light-up ahead of her. Her breath caught in her throat, she hadn’t been alone after all. He’d been following her this whole time, and she hadn’t noticed? “So… you do have a name, don’t you? I called you before but, I got no answer!” She heard him laugh.

His laugh.

It was Tetsuro.

He’d found her, again. He’d been able to corner her and isolate her from everyone AGAIN. He was a good few feet away from her so she had an opportunity to run if she needed to, but as she saw him walking towards her, her feet were glued to their spot. “It is best we get formalities out of the way, right? We didn’t properly get to know each other last time.” His tall… sturdy body coming into frame as she forgot how much taller he was then her.

“I-I I don’t want-” Yuriko tried to get it out but her throat closed in as she saw his face come into the light. The light first revealing the dark, intricately designed tail of the dragon etched under his eye. She still couldn’t get over his ridiculous haircut. His sharp jaw however… his detailed frame.. His-

“You don’t want to… what?” He smiled cheekily at her, tilting his head as he waited for her to muster up the courage to challenge him. His smile felt unsettling, making her stomach twist a bit more then before. He just stood there, staring at her with his dark… sultry eyes as they raked over her short stature.

She had a frog in her throat, she so badly wanted to cough it up and scream at him to get away and to never see him again so she could feel normal once more… but she couldn’t. She hated feeling so small in front of him. She hated the chill that hasn’t left her bones since he walked her home. She was sleep-deprived from the dreams she’d been having, not wanting to fall asleep in fear of the nightmares. She hated feeling scared.

She felt a tear escape her eye as she inhaled a few breaths quickly “I-I’m sorry, but I feel really scared around right now.” She choked out, finally letting the breath leave her lungs and hunch over as she coughed into the cold air. “I don’t know w-what’s happening to me.” She cried, throwing her mittens off her hands as she sobbed into the silence of the night; her warm hands cupping her cold, wet cheeks.

“What’s going on?” Tetsuro said, awfully calm. Unaffected at the sight of a young girl completely breaking down in front of him. She looked up at him, he’d stepped a bit closer keeping his hands in his pockets, still giving her some space.

“What did you do to me?” She hiccuped, wiping at her nose as she looked into his eyes, her mind completely going blank for a few seconds, just staring into his deep… dark eyes as he did the same to her.

The pain swirling through her body was unimaginable as she stood before the cause. She needed his help to fix this, she was confused, scared and alone. Unable to talk to anyone in her life in fear of giving away the identity of a deranged soul in a pure city. She felt sickly cold, unsure of how he’d been able to alter the temperature of her body after only one meeting. Wait, wait… that’s crazy…

“I don’t know what you mean,” He shrugged his shoulders in response as they resumed their gaze. His eyes pierced into hers, shaking her to her very core as she struggled to hold her ground under his iron grip. Her mouth gaped at him, he couldn’t be serious?

The heavy dark circles under her eyes, the little to no pigment in her cheeks?

“E-Ever since the night we met m-my life has been completely different.” She cried, tucking her hair behind her ears and crossing her arms infront of her chest. Her mittens were now wet on the ground providing no warmth for her hands, so she tucked them under her armpits. “I can’t sleep, I’m constantly shivering, my dreams are filled with what seems to be demons! And I’m sick of feeling like im being watched!” She sobbed, curling over her knees as she crouched to the ground with her head on her knees. Her head was pounding, the crying wasn’t helping the cause of her headache feeling as if she was close to keeling over and falling asleep.

“It’s your hypochondria.” She heard Tetsuro very softly through her huddle, he hadn’t once shifted his tone or changed his posterior as she broke down infront of him. “Well you’re not worried you’re sick, you’re worrying so much about me… you’ve made yourself sick, bunny.”

Yuriko couldn’t bite her tongue “Oh Gee! I couldn’t tell!” She exclaimed, completely not thinking and saying the first thing that came to her mind. Biting her lip as she watched Tetsuro’s eyes narrow at her and his teeth grit.

“That sense of humor is only gonna get you so far, chibi-chan.” He seethed venom through his teeth, his words pinching at her heart as he dropped down and brought his face right up to hers. So close, she could feel his hot breath on the tip of her nose. His eyes narrowed down at her as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding her head at him as he stood up. “Come on, get up now.” He stuck his hand out, fingers motioning at her.

Yuriko reached her hand out shakily and placed her hand in his, his long fingers wrapping around her small hand and hastily pulled her up into him. She gasped at the force, reaching her hand out to brace herself as she collided with his chest. The top of her head just barely reaching the curve of his shoulder as her palm fell flat on his chest, his free arm was wrapped around her waist his hand curved around her waist.

“You follow orders well, that’s reassuring.” He said lowly in her ear, his lips nearly brushing the shell as he held her in his grasp. She couldn’t help but feel a certain heat at their points of contact; their hands intertwined, her hand on his chest and his arm around her. It was… familiar… comfortable. For a few seconds her chills were gone, so warm.

“I don’t know who you are.” She said breathily, unwillingly breaking their contact as she pulled away from him. The heat leaving her body and leaving her cold once more as she took a few steps away from him. “I don’t know anything about you or what you’re even doing around here but…”

She looked up at him, his dragon glimmering in the light as he gazed at her. She was mesmorized by the intricate design in the slithering reptile under his eye. Slithering down the smooth skin of his face, it was almost illegal how well it fit his demeanor, how good it made him look...

“Kuroo.” He said, looking back up at her with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “My name is Tetsuro Kuroo.”

_Kuroo._

Yuriko felt her shoulders loosen at bit at the sound of his name, some warmth coming back to her body as she let her arms fall back to her sides. She smiled softly at him quickly, and just as he noticed she let her face fall again. “What do you wanna do, Yuriko?”

A chill shivered up her spine as her name fell from him lips, she hadn’t noticed how deep and husky his voice was until she actually wanted to hear how it sounded. It gave her the chills in a different way she had been feeling all week, what was this?

“I don’t know what to do.” She said softly, looking up at him with her sad wide eyes as he gazed back at her. Clicking his tongue, he took a few steps towards Yuriko, noticing the way his hips roatated in the way he walked. He was sauntering, slithering.

“Well,” He cleared his throat, “You could start by answering my text messages.” Yuriko snapped her head up to meet his eyes that were already staring at her. She hadn’t noticed how close he had really gotten to her, she could reach out and almost touch him.

“What do you want from me?” Yuriko asked softly, noticing the shift in weight as the question fell on his ears. “You’ve been obsessed with me ever since we met. What do you want, Kuroo-san?” His head perked as his names left her lips, his lips tugging up at the corners as he resumed their gaze.

“You.” He said simply, adding a little shrug for effect.

“Why?” She was puzzled. It was un-heard of for the deranged and the pure to have any sort of relationship. Let alone even be friends, what was he trying to achieve by chasing her? Fame?

“Can I ask you a few questions first, simple yes or no?”

“Okay…” She bit her lip as he pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms. His muscles bulging slightly from the pressure, Yuriko’s heart picked up at the sight. Kuroo must’ve taken notice, seeing how she peered up at him from her bangs.

“Do you find me attractive?” He asked, of course. She was going to inflate his ego just to make himself feel better. But… she couldn’t help but deny it.

His sultry eyes, his contoured face, the way his body moves when he does… the sound of his voice… the way his arms looked when their crossed. Yuriko couldn’t help but imagine what the rest of his body looked like. Lean, with defined muscles and tanned skin… the more she stared at him the more she wanted to see it.

“What’s with that blush?” He chuckled, as he stuck one of his hands out and Yuriko felt it knock her head upwards to look at him. Keeping his fingers gripped on her chin as he locked eyes with her, “That…. Must indicate a certain amount of guilt.”

She quivered, and struggled to hold his gaze. Licking her lips slightly, she parted them with a soft. “Yes.” noticing the way Kuroo’s eyebrows twitched at her answer, and his eyes darkened upon what seemed to be the right answer.

“Do you feel warmth when you’re with me?” She hadn’t felt cold since his hand gripped her chin. Warmth was spewing through her body from their point of contact and Yuriko wanted to just lay down and grab a blanket to bask in it, but Kuroo was cruel.

“Yes.” She whispered, as he took his hand away from her soft skin. Whimpering as he did so, his eyes snapped back to her pouting lips as her hands hesitated for a second. She almost reached for him to come back.

“Would you be interested in being friends, first?” He said after some time, but she felt like he didn’t want to phrase it like that. The deranged were much more blunt, more forward with their actions. She felt as if he wad holding himself back as if he were going to scare the timid little bunny away.

“What would be the outcome?” She asked, but her breath got knocked from lungs as her back collided with the near by wall.

Yuriko opened her eyes to see she was completely engulfed in darkness, as she looked up at the dragon who was towering over her. Both his hands were pressed against the bricks, his arms caging her in on either side. Dropping his head down slightly, she could see his eyes just above her own eye level. His chest was nearly pressed up against hers, her hands could reach out and brush against his thighs, hard muscle hopefully awaiting her touch.

“You aren’t following the rules…” He said, sucking his teeth and shaking his head at her. “You have to follow the rules little bunny,” Taking one of his hands off the wall and brushing the tips of his fingers across her cheek to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Such a pretty bunny…”

She couldn’t tell if he was talking about her tattoo or herself, but she let out a breath she didnt know she was holding in as she reached out and wrapped her small hand around his thick wrist. She flinched slightly at the contact, as she got a little shock from the contact.

She watched his eyes dart to her hand wrapped around him, his mouth slightly agape as he looked back at her. “Yes, i would like to be friends… first.”

“Let me walk you home, bunny.”

This was going to be… different.


	3. three

Yuriko found herself in a small clearing in the woods, sitting on a wooden log with mushrooms sprouting at her feet. She’d had another restless sleep the night before, the dark creature still haunting her dreams, watching over her shoulder.

She’d followed Tetsuro’s orders and walked to Haichioji, one town over from her’s. That was also the town closest to the border of the pure’s and the deranged. It wasn’t illegal for her to be here, but it may come off as suspicious seeing a pure sitting in the woods close to the borders. She’d been concealed by the thickness of the trees as she sat, not long now and he should be here. 

Kuroo hadn’t left her mind all week. 

After he had walked her home a few nights prior, he’d been lingering in her thoughts. Weaving in and out as he pleases, invading her when she needs to be concentrating, playing with her as she sleeps, keeping her on her toes. She couldn’t quite figure it out, but she felt as if he was with her even when he was miles away. She could feel his presence lingering on her back, when she imagines him touching her she almost feels his hand on her shoulder. 

His voice lived as the soundtrack of her brain, giving her an orchestral performance whenever he pleases. Sounding through her ears, causing her to snap her head in hopes-- dread, that he’d be there behind her waiting to scare her away. 

Yuriko had worn a grey sweatshirt with black pants and Blundstone’s-- a pair of boots gifted to her from her cousins in Canada. Tetsuro hadn’t given her a dress code, or any further information regarding their meeting here. He’d simply walked her to her gate, touched her on the cheek, and given her instruction. He hadn’t even sent a text message. 

The temperature started to drop rapidly, as a gust of wind blew past her. Blowing leaves across the ground and whipping her hair around, as her legs shivered. She felt a sudden heavy weight fall down onto her shoulders, urging her to stand as she rose to her feet. Stepping forward more towards the center of the clearing, she felt the cold air wrapping around her like a blanket to keep her in. Her arms falling to her sides as her head hung back, her breath being caught in her throat as she struggled to breathe with the wind whipping around her. 

Her heart rate started to pick up as she struggled to comprehend what was happening to her; her feet were cemented in place, and she so badly wanted to kick and scream in agony to maybe bring someone’s attention to a girl standing in the center of a small tornado. 

The wind finally broke free from around her, dropping to her knees as she struggled to regulate her breathing. She was coughing so hard so she could taste blood starting to coat her throat. Her nails dragged against the ground, scraping dirt into her skin as she collapsed on the ground. 

“Do you feel that?” _That voice._

Yuriko continued to cough as she opened her eyes to see him standing there in front of her. She struggled to push herself up onto her knees, pushing off the ground to stand shakily on her feet. He didn’t hold his arm out to her as she expected, it only offended her a little. She ran her fingers through her hair as she could finally see him clearly. His hair was just as crazy and he was wearing his usual dark clothes, but there was something different. His eyes... were darker than their usual brown. She felt cold just looking at him, but she was slightly relieved to see him. 

“Do you feel the energy coursing through you?” She hadn’t noticed until he said anything, her fingers felt tingly, as it spread throughout her arms and she felt it all pooling as a heavy weight in her chest. 

“What is it?” She choked out, clutching her chest as she felt her knees wobble again. If she fell, she didn’t know if she had the strength to pull herself back up, she’d barely done in the last time. 

“You’re a pure that has never been this close to the deranged borders.” his arm finally reached out to her and pressed his hand into the small of her back, pulling Yuriko towards him a bit to balance her. She stumbled on her shoes, her knees finally giving out and collapsing into Kuroo’s chest. “The wall is sucking the energy out of you,” 

“I-I can’t-” She struggled to get her words out, Kuroo’s heartbeat was so calming as it beat in her ear. His embrace was so warm, despite him looking so cold, she felt so comfortable as he heard him saying things to her, but her eyes closed before she could answer. 

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  


“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” He was holding Yuriko in his arms. 

“Open the fucking door, Bokuto.” Kuroo was standing outside the door to a house, a decent-sized two-story building that they used as a hideout in the woods behind their city. It was just close enough to the town as to not be suspicious, there were numerous active homes that were wedged deep in the woods. “It’s cold out here, open the door.” 

He heard his friend sigh as the locks on the door began clicking, they had 4 on each door just as a precaution; they were deranged after all, you don’t know who you can trust. The door opened to the dimly lit entryway, Kuroo stepping through the threshold, and getting a towel to the face as the door shut behind him. “Dry off, dog.” 

“You’re getting water on my rug,” He heard the voice of his other friend, the emotionless Akaashi. For all the years they had known each other, he had never once seen his friend raise his lips into a smile. “Stop doing that,” 

“Get over it,” Kuroo huffed, going as far as wiping his boots on Akaashi’s precious rug. Stepping into the living room off to the left, he approached the beige couch and placed the unconscious girl on top of the cushions. Her black hair, wet from the rain, sticking to her forehead and cheeks; and Kuroo bet himself that if she were to have seen herself, she would fall apart from embarrassment. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Bokuto followed him into the room, raising his hand to smack his rooster haired friend in the back of the head, “What the fuck are you thinking? Bringing her here? They’ll think we kidnapped her and we’ll all be executed for this!” Bokuto stepped in front of Kuroo, being able to steal his full attention again, tearing his gaze from the purity laying on their couch. “You have two seconds to explain what you think you’re doing before I start swinging.

“I like her.” The dragon said simply to his owl headed friend, who widened his eyes at his response. Gaping his mouth open to catch a fly, Kuroo braced for the sudden fit of rage. 

“I am not interested in dying because you want something that is not meant for you! Get her the fuck out of here now, Tetsuro!” Bokuto raised his hands to push him by the chest, but Akaashi stepped in from the side lines and grabbed him by the shoulders and pushing him back. 

“Enough, Bokuto.” He snapped, narrowing his Tiger eyes at the man standing next to him huffing and puffing his chest. Bokuto fit his Dog status perfectly, he was loyal and loving but mean and unpleasant. “Kuroo has never done something and not had an explanation for it. Pipe down, pup.” 

Bokuto grumbled as he plopped down in the armchair on the otherside of the room, huffing as he crossed his arms. He eyed Kuroo, who’s gaze was once again fixated on the small girl laying on their couch, her hair had begun to dry as it fanned out underneath her. “If I’m being honest, I don’t have an explanation.” 

Kuroo looked to Akaashi, watching as his friend furrowed his eyebrows. Akaashi vouched for him, and now hes letting him down? Typical Kuroo. 

Yuriko shifted in her sleep, throwing her arm down and turning to her right to face the back of the couch. Her shirt hiking up in the back and revealing her soft, smooth skin as she shifted her legs around bending her left knee up to her chest. Kuroo’s eyes raked down her body, following the curve of her waist, all the way down… to her now accentuated ass. Her leg being bent against her chest popped out one of her cheeks, and Kuroo felt a tingling in his hand, wanting to reach out and touch. 

“Tell me what happened.” Akaashi’s voice broke the silence, snapping Kuroo out of his trance as he tried to gather his thoughts. Both he and Bokuto were calmer now, the two of them showing their relaxed stances as to not attack the dragon. 

“I was visting Ushijima, in The Hole. I was having a smoke outside in the back alley with Aone and others I can’t remember and i just looked over; and she was just walking.” Akaashi noticed that the heartless dragon hadn’t taken his eyes off the sleeping girl. “She looked to the alley and saw us, I could tell she was scared because she scurried off as soon as we looked over. I left Aone to finish off with Ushijima and I went after her. When she looked up at me with those eyes… I couldn’t stop.”

He brought his hand up and rubbed at the back of his neck, “I couldn’t stop looking at her, stop thinking of her, stop wanting to be with her. She’s so soft looking, like the timid little bunny she is, hopping around me, afraid of my touch. She fear’s herself, and for herself when she’s with me. I can smell it radiating off of her, but I want nothing more then to be able to run my nose up the side of her neck and smell her for real. Run my hands up the curve of her waist and pull her in and devour her on site… but I can’t get close enough.” Kuroo finally tore his eyes away from her, taking the time to study the lines of her nose, and finally locking eyes with Akaashi. 

Akaashi sighed, sitting down on the arm of the couch at Yuriko’s feet, “What are you going to do?” He looked to Bokuto, who had his head in his hands on resting on his elbows. Surely, the dragon was going out of his mind. What was he hoping to achieve by stealing a pure and bringing her across the border? 

“She can’t stay here, Kuroo.” Bokuto said, raising his head and instead resting it in his palms. “  
She can’t be here, at all. If they find her here-”

“I know. Okay? I know.” Kuroo snapped, turning around and looking at Bokuto. He couldn’t hold his gaze long, as he hears shuffling from the couch as Akaashi stood up and stood next to Kuroo. 

Yuriko was shuffling around, her arms raising over her head as she extended her upper body in what looked like a morning stretch. She went limp for a second, and Kuroo hoped that she had fallen back asleep, but alas here eyes cracked open. 

  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  


Yuriko’s head was pounding, and her eyelids felt so heavy she didn’t want to lift them any time soon. Her head swirled with the familiar darkness she’d grown accustomed to, even if she hated it. She never woke during the night, despite the nightmares she had, but she desperately wished she was able to break the cycle. Yuriko would sleep through the whole night, suffering from the dream, suffereing from the dragon who slunk in the background. She was losing whatever warmth that was surrounding her as she laid, causing her to shuffle her arms and legs, accidentally waking herself up in the process. 

Her heavy eyes opened slowly, thankful that there was only a dim glow in the room and not the blaring light of her room she was expecting. Odd, she didn’t have any dimly lit lights in her room, where was it coming from? Opening her eyes more, she could finally focus on the three figures that were standing a few feet away from where she was laying. 

She locked eyes with the closest one, his dark hair falling over his forehead as his sharp dark eyes looked down on her. He looked scary, like he’d never moved a muscle in his face, so flat and emotionless. The longer she stared at him, the sooner she saw the tattoo under his eye. 

Tiger; courageous, but reckless, selfish, and impulsive. 

She started to panic, grabbing onto the sides of the couch and swinging her legs down onto the floor, she finally saw him. She felt her spine freeze up at the sight of him, his hair tossed to the side from the wind and rain, the top of his chest exposed from his drenched white shirt that was partially dried but stuck to him in various places on his abdomen. Yuriko’s legs started shaking as she gazed into his deep, sultry eyes. 

“Hi, bunny.” She heard him whisper, his eyes glinting as he smiled softly at her. Stepping forward towards her, she visibly moved back to squish herself into the back of the couch as he approached her. He could sense that he must’ve looked terrifying, coming towards her in the dark, nearly 5 feet above her. 

“What happened?” She said quietly, as Kuroo crouched down on the ground infront of her. Sitting on his knees, he placed his hands on either side of her legs on the couch. She felt locked in by him even if he wasnt touching her. 

“You fainted from the proximity of the border,” He replied, nearly eye level with her despite him being on the ground. “It won’t happen again now that you’ve done it.” She widened her eyes at him as the words left his mouth, the only appropriate response was; 

“Where am I, Tetsuro-san?” She whispered to him, looking into his eyes as she could see the conflict brewing in behind his. Kuroo bit his lip, as his fists gripped the couch by her thighs. His knuckles softly brushed her, and she felt the heat coming from him on her legs as he kept one of his hands in cllse contact as he raised the other and ran it through his hair. “Where did you take me?” 

Kuroo licked his lips as he stood back up and turned her back to her as she stepped away and joined Akaashi by his side once more. Yuriko finally noticed a third male that had been sat behind Kuroo the whole time, who stood on the other side of him now. Not a word from either of them. 

“Yuriko, this is Keiji Akaashi and Kotaro Bokuto.” He gestured to the sharp featured one, Akaashi, and the other one can now be defined as owl-like. “A tiger and a dog.” The two of them gestured to her, not a word. 

It was slowly coming together piece by piece in her head; the last time she’s been awake she was a few miles from the border, now she was in a dark house with three of the deranged standing in front of her. Pushing herself up off the couch she flung herself off and marched right up to Kuroo and got so close to him she could feel his heartbeat beating on her own chest. She angled her head up to look at him, as he had to arch his head back a little to look at her. She was breathing heavily, and could smell his thick musk coming from him and she so badly wanted to stop and lean in to smell, but she had to control herself. 

“You brought me over the border, didn’t you?” She whimpered to him, clutching her fists at her side as she watched his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed his guilt. She could feel the gaze of the other two men on her as she confronted the dragon infront of her. 

“I did, Yuriko.” Kuroo replied softly, as he watched her eyes tremble in fear as they watered with tears threatening to spill over the edge. She raised her fists slowly, the three men expecting her to start laying into Kuroo, but she sighed as she covered her face with her hands instead. 

“Who do you think you are?” Her voice cracked, as she shed tears into her hands. “You come into my life and you flip everything i’ve ever had and known upside down, you cause me to have a mini tornado form around me and kidnap me in the middle of the day and then you have the audacity to bring me over the border into a world I don’t know and where I don’t belong.” She pulled her hands away from her cheeks, to see Kuroo staring back at her with his bottom lip pulled in by his teeth. He looked on the verge of crying as well, seeing this beautiful girl completely break down in front of him almost made his cold, black heart break. “I don’t belong here.” She cried, swiping her fingers under her eyes, as she sniffled looking back up at Kuroo. 

“I want to apologize if i’ve freightened you, or caused you any harm; physically or mentally.” Kuroo said, taking a step towards Yuriko who flinched when the tips of their shoes collided. She tore away from his gaze as he reached his hand out and brushed it on her arms crossed over her chest. Softly running his fingers over her small ones poking out from her arms. “I have an explanation for all of it, bunny.” 

She looked back up at him, her gaze only a little blurred from the stray tears. He was staring at her intently, she could see something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but the way he looked at her could make her drop to her knees. “ I just need you to trust me.” 

_Could she trust him though?_ This, devishly handsome… deranged soul that crept into her life through the shadows undetected. He hadn’t led her astray yet, given her any reason not to trust him. Beside the fact that she was trapped in a house of the deranged, she felt a little comfort knowing that he was at least here as well. Could she trust someone who was the completely opposite of her being? 

“I trust you, Tetsuro.” 

-

kudos + comment 

ily

-s


	4. four

The border between the Pure and the Deranged shot down the center of Japan, on a slight angle to the left. So not directly down the middle, but the line was pretty half and half. The deranged had their watchtower and navigation center in the north in Niigata, looking out on the wall that ran down to the Pure’s tower, in the south in Shizuoka. The wall had only been completed a few years prior, the crime rate going down significantly since they were properly divided. The wall was lined front and back with military personnel, armed and ready to defend. There was no entry point for any citizen, pure or deranged to cross the wall. No one in, no one out. 

Yuriko had heard stories of how the country used to look before it was divided. How beautiful the rest of Japan used to be, at one time the capital of the Lost City, Tokyo, had been raging with life and color. Busting with laughter and song, as people roamed the streets eating tasty treats and vibrant clothing, children playing with their friends. It once was a dream of hers to move to Tokyo and live out her days there. 

She hadn’t heard any news of Tokyo since the wall had begun construction. It belonged to the deranged now, who knows what’s come of it. 

“There’s something on your mind.” A voice spoke behind her, breaking her from her thoughts as she was sat on the front porch of the boy’s house. She looked over to him, Tetsuro was standing there with his arms crossed but a cup of tea held in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

Yuriko had been staring at the forest scenery around her for the past hour. She hadn’t quite grasped onto the fact that she was in a completely different world, where was she? The trees held certain darkness, just on the brink of rotting but still standing tall and strong. The bark was a faded grey and the leaves nearly looked black as they swayed in the wind. “Yuriko?” 

“Why am I here?” She said softly, watching as a flock of birds flew up from the trees, subconsciously wishing she could stand up and fly away with them back to her cozy apartment. Longing to curl up in her bed and cuddle her stuffed animals and eat her favorite snacks. Her gaze shifting back to the dragon, only being able to see his knees as he was now standing next to her. The air felt heavy around her now that his presence was held over her. 

“I brought you here for many reasons, Yuriko.” Leaning his hand down on the porch behind him and sitting next to her. Shimmying in closer next to her so their legs were touching, but Yuriko slightly squeezed her legs closer together, a certain heat shot up her leg when it came in contact with Kuroo’s. “I don’t know if I have enough time to explain it thoroughly, but I can give you a summary.” 

Yuriko stared at the side of his face, her eyes softly following the sharp line of his jaw and the steep slope of his nose. His pale skin looked so soft, as his black flowing hair softly brushed against his high cheekbones. The curvy lines that flowed in through his dragon tattoo under his dark eyes, the lines nearly went straight into his eye and she couldn’t help but wonder if it had caused him any pain when he’d had it done. 

She couldn’t get over his appearance, his persona, how he carried himself. He was so confident in everything he did, the way he spoke, the way he moved his eyes when he was speaking to you, the sound of his voice alone made the chill in her spine ignite in a frenzy. Next was the way his body moved, she found herself entranced when watching him simply lift his arm over his head, or the way that his hips moved he walked, he was -- captivating. 

  
“Am I good-looking?” She heard him say, snapping her away from her deep thoughts as she noticed he was now staring at her while she was still dancing her eyes all over his body. Realizing her mistake, her breath got caught in her throat as their eyes met. 

“Yes.” She said without thinking, her eyes widening as she gasped as her hand flew up to cover her mouth as watched the dragon swing his head back with a bellow of laughter as he clapped his hands in amusement. She felt appalled that she had lowered her guard so much that she let a subconscious thought slip past her lips. 

“Don’t be ashamed, bunny. I know what you think of me, no need to be shy.” He chuckles as he reaches out to brush a stray hair that had fallen over her tattoo. Yuriko flinched slightly at the feeling of his fingers on her skin, the same heat igniting once more. His fingers lingered slightly on her hair behind her ear, as her soft brown eyes looked up into his own dark ones. 

She looked down at his arm that was stretched out towards her, her eyes following the lines of his veins that disappeared under the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt. Shifting over to the patch of skin that was exposed from his chest to his shoulder, his collarbone just barely peeking out from the top and she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of line work lived under the surface of the fabric. Staring a little longer, her eyes caught on the deep black ink that surely spread down his shoulder and maybe even onto his chest. _Did he have more tattoos?_

“Are you curious about me?” He asked, his fingers trailing from behind her ear, down her shoulder to grip her bicep. Yuriko gasped at his strength, tearing her eyes away from his skin to look at his white knuckles gripping at her. The small patch of skin from his rough palm touching her bare skin sent an uneasy feeling straight to her stomach. Not quite hot, not quite cold, electric but soft. It felt like a fist was grasping at her stomach and twisting it in half as she allowed their skin to continue touching, she couldn’t control it. _What was this feeling? Pain? Desire?_

“I want to show you something,” Tetsuro said, his hand hesitantly letting go of her bicep. His fingers softly brushing across her skin before their contact broke. She felt relieved as the knot in her stomach began to fade away, whenever he touched her the similar pain always coursed through her. Yuriko was finally able to regain herself as she shook her slightly before looking up at the man sitting next to her. “Come with me.” 

Tetsuro hopped down from the porch, his boots crunching on the dead leaves below. He stood tall and strong, his long legs covered in black jeans and a black champion hoodie stretched across his broad shoulders. They gazed at each other for a few seconds before he stretched a hand out to her. She could already feel the knot reforming in her stomach and she gulped as she hesitantly lifted her hand and placed it in his. 

She hopped down with his aid, wobbling a little as she stepped on top of uneven ground. Straightening out she pulled her hand from his grasp and stepped forwards slightly next to him, she reached up and flattened out her hair and noticed he hadn’t said a word and was just staring at her. “Where to?” She asked softly, anxious that he hadn’t looked away from her. 

“This way,” Tetsuro nodded out, north from where they were standing. Through the dead-looking trees and grass, there was a path that leads to the northern forest. It must also take them farther inward, towards the center of the Lost City. Yuriko snapped her head back to look at him, _he wanted her to go where?_

“Doesn’t that lead towards the city?” She asked quickly, but he had already begun walking away from her. The confidence she was talking about before returned as he sauntered away down the path. “Tetsuro-san?” She was nervous, _what if someone saw her face_? Word would spread quickly that there was a pure in the city. Who knows what would happen to her. 

“Would you rather go with me where you’re safe, or stay here with the two deranged you don’t know?” He shouted back at her, not turning around nor stopping for a second to look back. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and Yuriko couldn’t help but agree with him. She would worry herself sick staying with those two. She quickly ran to catch up with him, panting slightly as she tried to catch her breath. 

“I never thought the Lost City would have so much nature.” She said softly, as they walked the path from the house. Passing by trees, bushes, and flowers small forest animals scurried around them as well, it almost felt like home. 

“This isn’t the Lost City, this is the Outerlands. And don’t like the nature too much, it gets worse the farther inward we go after we get to the checkpoint the next thick patch of trees isn’t for oh… 130 miles north?” (204km) Tetsuro laughed slightly as they walked, “No one here really appreciates it though, they’ve either burnt it all or cut it down. Especially in Tokyo, you’ll see.” 

Yuriko nodded, but quickly caught on “Wait, what? You’re taking me to Tokyo?” _What was he thinking pulling such a reckless stunt?_ They would surely be caught. Tetsuro would most likely go to prison, and Yuriko would… she didn’t quite know what would happen to her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

“No, no.” He chuckled, looking down at her with a smile on his face. “We’re just gonna get close enough that you can see it, we’re only going as far as the tree line.” He lifted his arm and gently placed it along her shoulders, pulling her a little closer. 

This close, Yuriko could feel the warmth radiating off of him. She could feel the hard muscle of his abdomen and chest on her, smell his thick musk that slithered into her nostrils and pooling in her brain. She could feel the muscles in her shoulders relax as the scent and warmth enveloped her. She opened her eyes, her lips parting as she asked “Who are you?” 

“Have you forgotten already, bunny?” He chuckled, and she could feel the vibration from his chest. 

“No, I mean… I want to know more about you.” Her voice faded off at the end, so much she thought he didn’t even hear her. Her eyes shot back to him, as she noticed he was smirking slightly. _He was a cocky thing, wasn’t he?_

“You want to know, personal things about me. Is that it?” He was teasing her, she could hear the hint of amusement in his voice. Just enough that she may not have picked up on it had he not laughed at the end of his sentence. 

“Well, you did just kidnap me and bring me somewhere I don’t belong.” Yuriko had to cover her mouth, she had never sassed him before like that. She usually says comments like that to herself to avoid conflict and embarrassment. She was too timid to say what she wanted to sometimes, she relied too much on others to know what she was thinking to get by. 

“Bunny’s got a bit of a bite.” Tetsuro stopped for a moment, looking down at her with his dark eyes, biting his lip as he contemplated what to say. He let out a sharp tsk of disapproval, however, “Tell you what, on the way back we can play a one-sided 21 questions. Ask me anything.” 

“It usually goes back and forth.” She replied, watching as he tilted his head slightly to the right, her gut-wrenching as his eyes shited on her. “Don’t you want to ask me anything?” 

Tetsuro let out a light chuckle, shaking his head at her before he started walking once again. Shoving his hands in his pockets as he sauntered on. Yuriko stood there in confusion for a brief moment, _what had he found funny?_

“Why are you laughing?” She asked as she ran up next to him. He still had that same smile plastered on his face, low laughs still leaving his parted lips. He was unusual and very difficult to understand. Yuriko felt as if she were running around with her head cut off when she spoke to him, he made her spin. 

“There’s nothing I need to ask you.” He shrugged slightly, seeing no issue with his very peculiar statement, was concerning Yuriko. They’d only known each other a span of 2 weeks, he couldn’t have possibly learned everything about her, they’d never spoken! 

“How is that possible, we’ve never spoken to each other.” She pondered, noticing how his eyebrow twitched slightly at her remark. Almost as if she’d caught him in a lie, how deep did it run? 

“Must you ask so many fucking questions?” Tetsuro snapped, stopping abruptly as his strong hand reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. Her breath caught in her throat as he jerked her in her place. The dragon narrowed his eyes on her as she cowered away from him, her eyes immediately breaking from his forceful gaze to the dead leaves on the ground. Her heart was beating so fast she could feel the pressure in her ears as she stood still in his grip. 

Tetsuro had been nothing but sweet and understanding ever since she’d stumbled upon him. This is what she got for putting any type of trust in him, she’d convinced herself that he was different and wouldn’t do her harm? But, as his grip tightened on her wrist, she couldn’t help but let out a high-pitched whine as he continued to narrow his gaze on her. 

She’d fallen into his trap, the dragon had lured her in with his sultry gaze and his husky yet smooth voice. Beckoning her into his cave enclosed by his strong, tight embrace and his warm breath on her skin. She’d gotten close before, but she’d been able to control herself. 

As her eyes slowly shifted back to his, she felt the familiar shrill slither up her spine. The same feeling that had followed her for weeks, the one that kept her cold through the night and scared during the day. _Was it Tetsuro? Was he the one doing that to her to remind her of what she was getting into?_ Impossible, it couldn’t be as elaborate as she was making it out to be. 

She could feel the warmth radiating off his skin as he lowered his head down next to hers, feeling his breath on her skin caused her knees to shake anxiously. “Are you done, chibi-chan?” Tetsuro said into her ear directly, his lips were so close she could almost feel the velvety kiss that would surely accompany them. 

He hadn’t let go of her wrist yet, his grip still as tight as before as he spoke lowly in her ear, and the pain was starting to ache up her arm as he held onto it. She tried to rotate it, but that only urged him to grab on tighter than before. She let a soft groan part from her lips, the sound floating into Tetsuro’s ear as he bit into the pillow of his bottom lip. “I asked you if you were done, chibi-chan?” He said once more, his voice could only get lower from here. 

She nodded her head very hesitantly, afraid to move as she felt him move a little closer to her neck. His nose running up the curve of her smooth skin, and she heard him inhale her scent as he let out a bit of a disapproving groan. “Let me hear you say it,” his nose nudging at her neck. 

“I-I’m done, Tetsuro-san,” Yuriko whispered, trying her hardest to not let any more noises out as she shook in his grip. That seemed to please him well enough, as she heard him inhale deeply once more before stepping away from her. She let out a deep breath as she felt the pressure release from her surely bruised wrist as she grasped onto it with her other hand. She’d stepped away from Tetsuro she cradled her wrist to her chest, tears threatening to spill from the brim as she watched the purple and blue bloom on her pale skin. 

She’d pushed him too far, she bothered him too much, asked too many questions. She knew going into this she would get hurt by him somehow, this is what she gets for trusting one of the deranged. He’d gotten ahold of her, tarnished her skin to let her know where her place was, pure’s were practically inferior to the deranged. Only pain and violence run through their veins. 

“Come on. Let’s go,” He said, gently grabbing her arm to urge her to start walking. She stumbled slightly but fell into step with him. Keeping some distance between them as she cradled her swollen wrist in her jacket. Tears still softly fell from her eyes, not daring to wipe them away as to alert him that she was crying. She didn’t dare speak, look, or even breath in his direction. 

Continuing, she noticed the scenery began to shift. The tree bark was getting darker, the flowers were dying, the weeds were overgrowing. There were more fallen trees than living, most of the branches had fallen to the ground, the makeshift path they were following now gone in the growth. Tetsuro had begun walking a few steps behind her, she could still see him from the corner of her eye, but it gave her a weird feeling. 

A tree branch broke underneath her foot as she realized she was standing in front of a blockade of tree branches. Large ones, small ones a few boulders, it was like a perfect thorn wall, impossible for you to pass. Where do we go now? She didn’t want to ask Tetsuro, so she stood there wondering as she gently massaged her wrist. 

“Do you know where we are?” He had come up behind her, his head slightly hovering over her shoulder as their faces nearly touched. She could feel the fabric of his clothing brushing against her back. The nerves in her spine on high alert as she could feel him inching closer, getting close enough that she could reach out and touch his fiery skin. “ ‘Course you don’t, you’re not from here… right?” 

He was taunting her, getting under her skin to push her over the edge. His warm breath playing with the smaller hairs by her ears, blowing the hairs ever so softly against her skin, he was looking for a reaction to get out of her. His arm reached forward, over her shoulder, and in front of her face where she was looking. She watched his long fingers wrap around the tree branch in the thorn wall, didn’t that hurt him? 

The branch pulled back roughly, the leaves and twigs brushing on Yuriko’s arms. She reached up to cover her head as Tetsuro pulled it back completely to reveal the city Yuriko had once come to love. She felt his hand on her back, urging her forward with her arms still over her head, he put more trust in her footing than she did. 

Yuriko stumbled forward, throwing her arms down for balance as Tetsuro forced her through the opening in the shrubbery. He had no care for the fact that the thorns were tearing at her clothes and scratching her arms, her foot caught on a stray tree branch causing her to stumble forward. Pushing her hands out in front of her, she felt the skin tear on her palms as she collided with the ground. 

“Now what’d you go and do that for?” She heard Tetsuro say, a quite displeased tone in his voice as he reached down and hauled her up by her elbows. He kept one hand wrapped around her arm, not giving her enough time to compose herself as she was dragged behind him. 

The dragon guided her through the twist and turns of the shrubs, stumbling over rocks and discarded sticks. It felt like she was going through a tunnel as the path below was carefully carved and cleared out. Tetsuro knew exactly where he was going too; where to duck and where to turn, Yuriko had a feeling this wasn’t his first time back here. 

Suddenly, he stopped right in front of her “Alright little bunny, I’m gonna give you a boost and you’re gonna perch yourself on this platform here.” Tetsuro motioned to a small spot just above Yuriko’s head. She was meant to sit up there? How was it even secured? 

“Why?” She asked before thinking, crossing her arms in defense as Tetsuro turned around, a devilish grin plastered on his handsome face. Rubbing his hands together, he bent his knees and reached down to grab Yuriko by the waist. “What are you doing? Put me down!” 

Tetsuro hauled her up onto the small platform, being wary of her kicking legs as to not receive one in the eye. He gave her legs a small push to fully make sure she was up there, before turning around and stepping up onto his own make-shift platform. “Ready?” 

Yuriko brushed her hair out of her face, looking at Tetsuro who had his hands gripped on a metal bar in front of her. “For what?” 

“For Tokyo,” He said pulling on the bar, letting the light shine in. 


	5. five

The bright beam of light that flooded through the gate caused Yuriko to squint and cover her eyes for a few seconds while Tetsuro fully moved the panel. She groaned slightly as she rubbed at her eyes, he hadn’t prepared her for the sudden burst of light that was going to come through, but the pain subsided and she slowly removed her hands from her eyes. She could see Tetsuro sitting across from her, his eyes peering out from the side as he looked down into the city. He looked as if he were purposely hiding behind the wall, as to not be seen. 

Fully lowering her hands, Yuriko’s vision began to focus once more. She saw buildings begin to take shape, people’s silhouettes were moving on the streets below, traffic noise drowning out their conversations. The window they were looking through wasn’t as big as she first thought it was, given she could probably fit through it if she tried hard enough. 

Tetsuro sat next to her, and she noticed how his eyes danced across the lights in the city. Following the cars on their paths, watching as the deranged interacted with one another, she couldn’t quite explain the look on his face but; it seemed like he was searching for someone. “I bring you all the way out here, and you still can’t stop looking at me?” His voice broke her thoughts, shifting her gaze away from him and finally looking at the city. 

Yuriko had prepared herself for the kind of destruction that had become of the city, but nothing like this. It was much worse than she thought it was, the pieces fully clicking together as her eyes scanned the city below. Trees had been uprooted, nothing but stumps left behind. The vibrant colors were a faded grey almost bleeding into black and blending in with the streets underneath. For years she’d stared at the beautiful scenery in her textbooks, longing to see the exciting city; her dreams shattered right in front of her. 

“What do you think, bunny?” Tetsuro spoke again, she couldn’t look away. Unable to comprehend how the city that she once loved had fallen into despair. Her heart clenched as she watched a group of children, clearly homeless fighting over a loaf of bread that was burnt to a crisp on one side. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” 

“It’s horrible,” She whispered, finally being able to tear her eyes away from the scene and look to the ground beneath her. Tetsuro’s feet were dangling just a foot or two above the ground; Yuriko was high enough up on the platform that she could jump down by herself. Shimmying herself to the edge, she braced her arms and swung herself down. 

The impact from the ground was harder on her knees than she expected it to be, stumbling forward and letting her hands out for balance. Her hands collided with the metal from the platform across from her, one of her hands completely missing and grasping onto Tetsuro’s calf. She held it there for only a second, before falling back onto her knees and quickly taking her hands off of him. 

Tetsuro looked down, now noticing the small girl on her knees in front of him. He let out a chuckle, Yuriko watching as he rubbed at his chin as he looked down his nose at her. “Pretty eager, aren’t we? You wanna suck my cock?” Yuriko couldn’t hear any hints of sarcasm or that he was kidding. 

Her heart dropped to her stomach at his statement, did he not have a filter? She stared up at him with pure shock on her face, the color draining from her cheeks as she tried to compose herself. The air caught in her throat slightly as she struggled to breathe at his remarks. Yuriko had never. He probably knew that from the way she carried herself and how easy she was to tease and pick on. He could say practically anything and get the same reaction out of her every time, wide eyes, rapid heartbeat, shaking knees…. Tetsuro was loving it. 

“So cute,” He mumbled, pushing off the ledge and squatting down next to the still shaking bunny. He crossed his arms across his knees, looking at her side profile, watching her chest rise and fall quickly enough to raise concern. “I’m only kidding around, chibi-chan.” He said softly, sticking a hand out to her to help her up. 

“Well, not entirely kidding, The offer will still until you accept it,” He laughed again, not waiting for her to give him her hand but taking it by force instead and pulling her up next to him. “You wanna go back?” 

“Yes, please.”She said quietly, lowering her head as she picked at the dead skin on her fingertips. Not waiting for the dragon, but instead slithering off by herself back the way they came. An uneasy feeling had begun to pool in the pit of her stomach, different from the kind of feelings she usually gets. It only just began to hurt, causing her to press her left hand into her stomach to try and relieve some of the pressure. 

Stepping out from the shrubbery, she hadn’t even cared to stop and check to see if she was going the right way or if Tetsuro was behind her. Coming into the light, she skidded to a stop as she saw the dragon leaning against a tree a few feet away. She paused for a few seconds, looking behind her back in the tunnel, looking back to Tetsuro who raised his hand and waggled his fingers at her. _ How did he get out before her?  _ Shaking her head, she continued. Tetsuro fell into step next to her, his hands shoved into his pockets and a slight tension between them.

“You feeling alright?” They’d been walking for 10 minutes and she hadn’t said a word, she’d kept up with his pace as they walked through the forest. She could feel Tetsuro’s eyes on her as he waited for her response, she’d kept her head low to avoid his gaze but he somehow always managed to get her to look at him. 

“Does this place know that I don’t belong here?” Yuriko answered, stopping in her tracks and meeting Tetsuro’s gaze. He stood across from her, and she knew he was formulating his best possible comeback but she wanted to beat him this time. “It felt like my stomach was getting together and tighter the closer we got to the city. My eyes hurt just looking at it, the light and the noise made my head spin. Do they know I’m here?” 

Tetsuro licked his bottom lip, sighing as he ran his hand through his disheveled hair. He kicked a rock across the leaves as he paced in front of her. “Does the air feel different here?” Tetsuro turned around in his place, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, he looked so tall and sturdy as he stood there in the dying forest. “Does your chest feel heavy, like something is sitting on it?” 

Yuriko had noticed that there was something off, ever since she crossed the border it felt like she couldn’t quite catch a breath. She’d thought maybe there had been a change in altitude that Tetsuro hadn’t told her about and that she would get used to it. But the more she thought about it the more it pushed down on her lungs to the point where she couldn’t get the smallest of breaths in or out. Yuriko began to panic, feeling almost as if someone had reached deep into her chest and just started squeezing. 

Her heart began racing as her head started to spin in turn, struggled to calm herself and looking for something to latch onto so she wouldn’t collapse on the forest floor. Her vision had become spotty, the small black dots spotting her view as her feet fumbled to keep her upright. Yuriko reached her arm out to grab onto a nearby tree, but she stumbled at the loss of balance before her hands could grab the branch. 

Tetsuro had wrapped his arm around her waist just before her face would’ve collided with the dirt. He dropped to his knees as he turned Yuriko over in his arms, brushing the hair from her eyes and mouth as she struggled to get any air into her lungs. As Tetsuro held her in his arms, her eyes frantically gazing into his, her hands reached up and clutched onto his hoodie. Clutching the fabric so tight her knuckles turned white as she held onto him for stability, balancing her spinning mind as she laid her head back. 

Tetsuro’s fingers carefully tucked the stray hairs behind her ear, watching as the color slowly flushed back into her cheeks. The familiar rosy cuteness Tetsuro loved to see bloom across the blank canvas, it was his favourite sight. “You with me, Yuriko?” He said lowly, his mouth close enough to Yuriko’s ear that she could feel the warmth from his breath fanning over her neck. Her head had leaned back into his shoulder, his arm supporting her from behind while the other cradled her face in the palm of his hand. 

The heavy feeling in her chest began to fade as she felt the crisp air finally pierce her lungs again. It felt like when you finally come up for air after a deep plunge, the one big gasp as you break the surface. It feels like a rebirth, your body emerging from the water as the air hits your skin. The irregular rise and fall of her chest had leveled out as she finally opened her eyes, her vision still a little hazy as she adjusted to the light. 

Yuriko blinked slowly a few times, the focus finally adjusting as she saw Tetsuro leaning over her. Their eyes meeting in a solemn gaze, half orientated with the oxygen still entering her bloodstream. Her mind was hazy, gazing up at Tetsuro as she felt the weight of his arm supporting her. It didn’t take her long to realize that he was cradling her in his arms while caressing her cheek. He was holding her delicately yet comfortably on the forest floor, her hands still clutching onto him for comfort, support…  _ balance.  _

“Are you okay?” She heard him ask, his voice breaking the silence between their stare. His hand brushed her hair once more, smoothing it over her head as he secured his arms around Yuriko’s waist while slowly rising to his feet. 

“I-I think so,” She mumbled, her arms wrapping around his torso as her feet landed on the ground. Her knees felt wobbly as she tried to balance her weight, leaning more onto Tetsuro’s chest to keep her stable. They stood there quietly, embracing each other in this awkward stance in the middle of the woods while neither of them moving to break their contact. 

Yuriko’s face was nestled in the arm of the dragon’s hoodie, the fabric caressing her cheeks as she stood held in his arms. The thick musk coming from his clothing enveloping her and she could practically feel the stress fall from her shoulders. Her back straightening out as the strength came back to her legs, resting her cheek against Tetsuro’s chest more comfortably. Her small hands were still clutching the front of his hoodie, holding herself tightly against his chest, buried in his warmth and protection, he made no effort to remove her only tightening his hold as she shifted around him. 

She questioned why he hadn’t moved from her yet, did he not find their embrace to be awkward, or even slightly _taboo?_

“Because I like it,” Tetsuro said, his hands running up her waist and slowly up her arms and then gripping her shoulders tightly. Yuriko gasped at his strength, her body jolting from his grip as his fingers carved into her skin. Her feet dragged against the ground, Tetsuro forcefully pushing her backward into a neighboring tree. He’d just been holding her tightly, protectively in his arms, now he’s holding her against a tree by the shoulders? She didn’t understand. 

“L-like what?” She stuttered softly, her eyes nearly bulging out from her sockets from how widely scared she was. Her arms shaking at her sides so much she bet Tetsuro could feel it in his hands. She hadn’t asked him a question though, so she was unsure as to what he was saying. 

“I like you,” His face swooping down so their noses were almost touching, his voice deep and gravelly as he approached. Yuriko’s breath caught in her throat, her chest halting its movements for a few seconds before he pulled away, not all the way but still close enough she could feel his breath on her skin. 

She couldn’t help how she was responding to him, the proximity of their bodies sent heat straight to her core, clenching as she felt Tetsuro’s pelvis press up against her front. His body nearly grinding onto hers as he carefully adjusted his stance in front of her. His hands had softened their grip, still holding her tightly, but comfortable enough so she could move. Yuriko heard him let out a soft groan, the noise shooting straight up her spine and nestling its self securely in the back of her mind, knowing she’ll hear it later in her dreams. She angled her neck up at him, peering into his dark eyes through her bangs. She was still breathing shakily as her eyes shifted down to his parted lips. They were a deep, almost burgundy red, and he dared to poke his tongue out to swipe along with them. 

“You want me to kiss you, don’t you?” His sultry voice sounding in her ears as she looked back up at him, her core was throbbing as she gazed into his eyes. His hair had slightly fallen out of place from his right eye, fully looking into both. Yes, yes she oh so desperately wanted him to kiss her. She was fighting the urge to squeeze her legs together to stop the pulsating, but she felt the only relief she could get was from him. 

“Let me hear you say it, chibi-chan.” He said deeply, his voice rumbling from the bottom of his chest straight down onto her. Her body twitching in his grip as she pushed herself up on her toes slightly, she barely got to his chin, but she came up short letting out a soft whimper pulling at his hoodie again. “Say it, Yuriko.” He said more aggressively this time, gripping her tighter. 

“I-I want you to k-kiss me,” She thought for a second he couldn’t hear her, her voice breaking from the lack of oxygen she had. Her breathing still unsteady as she bore into the dragon’s deep eyes. 

“Isn’t that sweet,” He chuckled, his fingers tapping against her shoulders, tongue swiping his bottom lip again. He titled his head to the side, still keeping their gaze connected, his lips turning up into a devilish smile. Yuriko noticed something unnerving about his teeth, his two canine teeth were incredibly sharp. Sharper then what you would think, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they would tear into her lips. 

“ _Please…”_ she whispered, catching the nerve of the dragon with piqued interest, his head shifting back towards her, their mouths lining up. He let out a slight scoff, almost like he was appalled at the fact that she was pleading for him to grant her some sort of satisfaction to the aching feeling spreading through her like wildfire. 

Tetsuro let out another groan, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed harshly “Oh? You’ll beg me to, won’t you?” He sounded in pain, his voice straining his vocal cords as his breath grew heavier by the minute. He was leaned over her enough that Yuriko could peek down his hoodie and shirt, barely being able to make out the intricate art spreading across his chest. 

“P-Please, Tetsuro-san…” She whimpered, looking back into his sultry eyes, his hands gripping her once more and pushing himself up so he was towering over her once more. One of his hands let go of her shoulder, softly grazing his fingers across the shell of her ear and down the length of her cheek, she could feel the roughness from the pads of his fingers scraping against her soft skin. 

Tetsuro caught her off guard by grabbing the entirety of her face into the palm of his hand, her cheeks squishing up as he pressed the back of her head deep into the bark behind her. She couldn’t move, not like she wanted to, but knowing he was holding her in such a vulnerable position make her knees shake. Her eyes stared up at him, her breathing shaky once again as he looked down his nose at her. 

“Call me _dragon…_ ” He said, lowering his head and placing his forehead on hers, the heat radiating from his skin onto her own. Their noses bumping against each other and the air falling from their lips blending together. His lips were so close she could just reach up and touch them, but he had her secured in place by her head.

“ _Please kiss me, dragon…_ ” Begging him once again to fulfill her request, her lips quivering as she oh so desperately waited for him to please her. Place his lips on her, taste his tongue with her own, feel his hot breath in her mouth. 

“Only since you asked so, so nicely bunny.” He smiled devilishly before he wedged his lips in between her soft pillowy ones. Whatever breath she had left in her lungs being sucked from her as she was pulled into his embrace, his lips moving against hers slowly but strongly. She could feel his strength behind his kiss, his touch so tender and soft but dominating her and letting her know there’s no room for escape. 

Her hands finally let go of the front of his hoodie, finding the strength in her knees to finally stand stably on the ground as she reached up to wrap her arms around his shoulders to balance herself. Tetsuro’s hand fell from her shoulder, tracing down the curvature of her body before securing his arm around her waist. Pulling her tight against his chest, her feet nearly lifting off the ground from the force, but all she could concentrate on was the overwhelming amount of warmth coursing through her veins. 

His tongue licked at hers, touching their tips together to tease her into parting her lips to let him into the crevice of her mouth. She whimpered slightly, as she felt Tetsuro’s thumb and forefinger press down on either side of her neck, restricting her airflow enough to make her part her lips in order for him to slip his tongue in. Yuriko had a small headrush once he let go of her neck, the oxygen recirculating in her body, Tetsuro knew exactly where to squeeze to get what he wanted from her, and Yuriko couldn’t help but wonder what other tricks he knew. 

“Did you like that?” Tetsuro pulled away, his lips kissing softly at the smooth skin on the underside of her chin, lips circling the air his fingers had known where to squeeze. He had angled his head down enough that Yuriko’s nose brushed against the line of his collarbone, his scent wafting her senses once more. 

She couldn’t lie, the feeling of having him in control of something so mundane such as her breathing make her shake in his embrace, she’d imagined what it would feel like if he decided to one day wrap his whole hand around her neck and squeeze until whenever he pleased. Make her eyes roll back inside her head, her own small hands gripping his wrist in a sign of pleasure. She wanted him to do more, slide his hands down her flanks, feel his hands on her skin.. Fingers gripping places she herself hadn’t touched yet. 

“Dirty little mind on you,” He whispered in her ear, pulling away from her and removing his arm from her waist. She felt cold as the forest air spread around her, instantly missing the warmth he provided. _Why had he pulled away so soon?_ She made no sign that she was uncomfortable or that she wanted him away. Yuriko wanted him close, closer than she’d ever let anyone get before. “Come on, we have to get back. It’s not safe out here for you after dark.” He held his hand out for her to take, gesturing in the direction of the house. 

“What else do we need to do?” She placed her hand in his, intertwining their fingers as he pulled her in close to him once more. Their chests touched as he reached up to brush a strand of hair behind he ear. 

“Something I think you’ll like,” He smiled again at her, and she couldn’t quite get over how sweet yet how evil it looked at the same time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos / comment   
> ily  
> -s

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comment
> 
> ily
> 
> -s


End file.
